This was my first London Design Festival and I was unsure exactly what I was going to get. Was it going to be quirky, cutting-edge design or the bunch of faceless distributors that was the Birmingham Interiors show in January… well it was both really. The two boutique shows I went to, Tent and Designers Block, had some real creative flare, but we got round each exhibition in around 30 minutes. Whereas, at 100% Design in Earls Court, we really had to wade through a lot of fountain showers to find the gems of the exhibition.

Trends

Vintage
The Circa Vintage collection at Tent is a safe way to go when looking for design trends. We know most of it is good, otherwise it would have been thrown away years ago, but it is for a different reason that I think the vintage trend is a good one. The term “reuse” doesn’t get enough credit in environmental marketing; it is by far the most energy/waste friendly way of buying furniture, because the only reprocessing needed is a little elbow grease and a van ride or two. The key point here is to go authentic vintage — don’t cheat and go replica, because it is the patina that make these designs rich and desirable. You would only be selling yourself short otherwise. A popular piece in the circa vintage collection was the Eames DSW (below). I prefer the wooden leg version rather than the Eames DSR chrome legged version.

Finishes
There were three finishes that really worked for me this year at 100% Design. They were; high gloss paint, satin finished wood and bold coloured woolen fabrics.

The stand-out ingredient of three was the satin finished wood. The richness of the natural material let simple shapes stand out and provided a real warmth that had been lost over the past few years, with the abundance of shiny leather and chrome fishes. However, the natural wood really shone when it was teamed with either high-gloss paint (see Shaper table by Mark below) or woolen fabrics (see Lounge chair by David Irwin). The high-gloss paint gave the products the sophisticated look of a contemporary product without resorting to an over-dominating chrome metal finish. The wool/wood combo gives furniture a classic styling while oozing the warmth of your grandparents’ house.

Shapes
Clean or crazy, take you pick, but stay away from the middle ground. Simple products that let the material shine are are definitely the way forward. The clean lines (as in the Sum chair below by Canadian designer Derek McLeod) shows off the rich walnut. Subtle details are also important, like the button detail on the cushion of the Lounge chair by David Irwin (above): they really add to the design without making it look garish.

On the other hand if you want to crazy, go all-out. The range of Melt Down chairs from Tom Price stand out. You have to admire the simple innovation involved here, it is a really well executed piece of raw product development.

To conclude, with a lot of designers seeming influenced heavily by past classics, it is materials and innovation that will set this year’s products apart. Get the materials right, keep the shape simple and you are onto a winner, whether designing or buying.